Water-power



- (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

'W. E. VERNON. WATER POWER. No. 530,370. v Patented Dec. 4, 1894.

WITNESSES.

IN VE N 7'01? ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

WILLIAM E. VERNON, or SAN ANGELO, TEXAS.

WATER- POWER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 530,370, dated December 4, 1 894.

Application filed March 13, 1894." Serial No. 503,405- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,WILLIAM E. VERNON,

of San Angelo, in the county of Tom Green and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water-Powers, of which the following is a full, clear,

and exact description.

The invention is hereinafter described, and

the novel features are specifically indicated.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improveagainst the inlet side of a power house B,

built into the bank of the stream or river,.as indicated in Fig. 1. On the side of the power house B, facing the river or stream is arranged one or a series of inlet openings 0, the upper ends of which correspond approximately to the height of the dam'A, so that the water banked by the dam A readily flows through the said inlet openings into the upper end of the power house B.

The openings 0 are controlled by gates D, having arms D extending upward, to be loked'in place on the top of the inclined roof E of the power house, it being understood that the operator standing on the roof of the said power house can readily manipulate the arms D so as to raise or lower the gates according to the amount of water it is desired to have flow from the stream above the dam A through the said inlet openings 0. The roof E is inclined downward in the upward direction of the stream, as is plainly indicated in Fig. 1, so that in case of high water, driftwood, &c., may readily pass over the power house without injury to or destruction of the same.

In the power house Bis arranged the raceway F, leading from the opening 0 downward to draw the greatest amount of water from the openings downward, the said raceway F being provided in its incline with the slightly upwardly extending apron F over which passes the water onto an undershot wheel G, mounted in the lower part of the power house B, as is plainly shown in Fig. 2..

plainly indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, the said boxes Ibeing open to the'water in the river or stream below the dam A. The pumps H discharge the water intothe outlet pipes J leading to the place from which the water pumped is to be distributed for irrigating or other purposes.

In orderto regulate the water passing down the race-way F, I provide a transversely extending gate K built in the power house over the race-way, as is plainly indicated in Fig. 2. This gate K is hung on an arm K extending upward through the inclined roof E of the power house to be locked to the said roof in a suitable way, by the operator standing on the inclined roof of the power house.

I Under therace-way F extends horizontally the bottom or fioorL of the power house,-the said floor forming with the said race-way a box or pocketfilled in with heavy rocks N as indicated at the left in Fig. 2, to prevent displacement of the power house by high water, &c.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination with a dam, arranged in the bedlof a stream and extending part way across the latter, of the power-house, and having its upper end closed, and its top inclined downward in the upstream direction, as and for the purpose specified, gated inlet openings in the side of the power-house,

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which are located below the top of thedain, a downwardly-inclined water-way in the power-house, and a water-wheel located in the lower enlarged end of the power house, 5 as shown and described.

2. A water power, comprising a power house set in the bank 'of a stream or river and formed in its side facing the stream or river with inlets, gates for opening and closing the to said inlet openings, a race-way extending longitudinally in the said power house, and

connecting atits upper end with the said inlets, awater wheel journaled in the lower 

